$50 million investment in communityPlant Manager Joe Wilson said the decision by ConAgra Foods to expand to the tune of $50 million over four years at the Russellville facility was made easy by the community and its people. "I just got done talking to an individual who told me about his mother's career at ConAgra," Wilson said after Tuesday's announcement at Arkansas Tech University. "It's that passion about the River Valley and the folks who work here. That's one thing that I ...

Attracting industry top town hall topicAfter a break during Thursday night's town hall meeting hosted by a local media company, Mayor Randy Horton and Aldermen Nathan George and Mark Tripp were asked how they planned to bring in big industry and keep ATU graduates from leaving Russellville. Horton said the city has followed the Tupelo model to recruit industry, but it is trying to convert to a quality of life to attract workers and companies instead of incentives. "We need to start...

Nearly 5 inches of rain soaks cityRussellville and Pope County got a rude awakening Tuesday morning as nearly five inches of rain fell in a few hours and caused major flooding in parts of the city and county. But as quickly as the rain fell, it almost as quickly drained away. City department heads said Tuesday afternoon no roadways were closed. Denise Robinson, Pope County 911 assistant director, said there were several accidents including an 18-wheeler that overturned on Inte...

Ola Council appoints new police chiefOLA — The Ola City Council met Monday to discuss the resignation of former police chief Daniel Warren, which was effective July 20. During the meeting, Mayor Doug Smith appointed J.C. Nelson, previously a sergeant, as the new police chief. Another resignation was also submitted from one officer. To fill the position, Nelson recommended candidate Jordan Smith to the council which the council approved after reviewing his qualifications. Nelson a...

Council slated to meet at 6 ThursdayThe Russellville City Council will consider resolutions pertaining to dilapidated structures and an amendment to the 5-year Street Master Plan when it convenes at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall. The Finance Committee will meet at 5:30. Resolutions to accept bids for removal of dilapidated structures are at 901 S. Ithaca Avenue and 1411 West C. Street. A resolution to incorporate an in-depth sidewalk plan to the five-year Street Master Plan will ...

Mayor, aldermen enjoy Q&A session at town hallRussellville Mayor Randy Horton, Alderman Mark Tripp and Alderman Nathan George said they were looking forward to Thursday night's town hall meeting hosted by a local media company at Dog Ear Books at Main and Commerce. "I appreciate this opportunity to tell people what we are doing and how we are doing it," George said in opening remarks. "Like the mayor said, good things are happening here." "We are all in this together," Tripp added. The mo...

City department heads asked to analyze budgetsThe Russellville City Council Finance Committee met with department heads Wednesday at City Hall for a second meeting to discuss the 2018 budget. Alderman Mark Tripp said the process started a little sooner, but he wanted to bring department heads to the table and go into a little more detail earlier than previous years. "If we save a dollar or not, it is our responsibility to do so," he explained. "Even if there are some issues, we have to fi...

Soccer Complex well saving city moneyRecreation and Parks Director Mack Hollis reported to the R&P Commission during its regular meeting Thursday that the new well installed at the Soccer Complex has provided plenty of water. "We can run five stations at a time. We have plenty of water," Hollis said about the sprinkler system for the soccer fields. "There is more force to all the sprinklers, and they go farther. We can run five stations at a time for two hours through a well. It ...

Atkins City Council decides no sidewalk ordinance necessaryATKINS -- The Atkins City Council took no action on anything to do with sidewalks during its regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall. Alderman Bro Price said he and several people have talked about stuff left on sidewalks in the downtown area and wondered if the council needed to draw up something to regulate what could or what could not be on sidewalks. Mayor Jerry Don Barrett said the issue was brought up a couple of months ago, and since then ...

Commissioners slated to discuss voting equipmentThe Pope County Election Commission (PCEC) will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the election headquarters on East Main Street in Russellville to discuss new voting equipment as well as the school board election in September. In a previous meeting, commissioners discussed the need to purchase new voting equipment that comes to an estimated cost of $391,000. As of the 2016 general election, the current equipment used is out of compliance by federa...

Recreation and Parks Commission OKs USA swim teamThe Russellville Recreation and Parks Commission voted to recommend several items related to the Russellville Aquatic Center to the City Council for approval, including the creation of a USA swim team, during its regular meeting Thursday at the Hughes Center. Director Mack Hollis told commissioners through Aug. 7, total aquatic center revenues came in at $63,837 and said it was doing very well. The commission was provided a list of over three ...

Aquatic center dominates finance council meetingThe Russellville City Council's Finance Committee discussed the Aquatic Center during its meeting Tuesday at City Hall. Specifically, Alderwoman Freddie Harris asked if the committee that oversaw construction of the $6.6 million facility should come back to handle all the issues and answer all the questions aldermen have been asked. "I'm worn out about the aquatic center," Harris explained. "I think everybody has gotten emails on what to put o...

Master Plan CommitteeThe Downtown Master Plan Committee will meet at noon today at the Historic Depot to continue discussion of the plan's five-year update Jimmy Streett, chairman of the Downtown Master Plan Committee, said following the July committee meeting that the five-year update served two functions. Committee members and interested residents went back and analyzed what has worked and what has not worked, pointed out the successes and looked toward the next...

Dardanelle OKs concessions bidDARDANELLE — The Dardanelle City Council reviewed bids for a concession stand and restrooms at the new softball field at Merritt Park during its regular meeting Monday. A total of five bids were made, all from Russellville businesses. Cornerstone Construction of Russellville Inc. submitted the low bid of $214,998. Previously, the city received a matching grant up to $125,000 from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism to go towards this ...

Planning, zoning reapproves platPOTTSVILLE — The Pottsville Planning and Zoning Committee reapproved a plat during its regular meeting Monday. Mayor Jerry Williams said a plat in the Fairway Addition off of Redmond Road was presented about a year ago and “time ran out on it.” Commissioners reapproved the plat Monday. The next Planning and Zoning Committee meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 4.

Pope Quorum Court OKs appropriationsThe Pope County Quorum Court approved four appropriation ordinances and one transfer during its July meeting Thursday inside the county courthouse. Pope County Judge Jim Ed Gibson explained during Tuesday's Budget Committee meeting that the square footage of the courthouse was realigned, which affected utilities that are reappropriated to the county based on square footage. An ordinance appropriating $3,820 from the general fund for the office...

Big rise in number of active leak probesWASHINGTON -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions has pledged to clamp down in government leaks that he said undermine American security, taking an aggressive public stand after being called weak on the matter by President Donald Trump. The nation's top law enforcement official is citing no current investigations in which disclosures of information had jeopardized the country, but says the number of criminal leak probes had more than tripled in the...

Officers not affected by SUVsThe Johnson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) is one of the latest law enforcement agencies in over a dozen states that has installed carbon monoxide detectors in their Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles. Spokesmen from the Russellville Police Department (RPD) and Pope County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) said they have had no officers have had ill effects or any problems from their patrol SUVs and will continue to monitor any information that b...

Atkins to demolish old churchATKINS -- Mayor Jerry Don Barrett told the Atkins City Council during its July meeting that an old Church of Christ at the corner of Main and Church Streets (U.S. Highway 64 and State Highway 105) will be torn down after an asbestos report is conducted. A resident told the council he had his property for sale and had lost four potential buyers because his neighbor continued to pile up yard debris from other properties. Police Chief Stephen Pac...

Outage hits some 2,900 in the areaEntergy crews responded to a power outage that affected approximately 2,900 people in and outside Russellville early afternoon on Thursday. Entergy spokesman Mike Duncan said the main breaker at the Russellville North substation was tripped, but there was no indication why it went down. The outage involved customers in west Russellville, just north of the city along State Highway 124, the south portion of Arkansas Tech University and to Saint ...

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BY SEAN INGRAMsean@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley